Untitled for the Moment
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: Harry Potter Crossover! 9 years ago the Centere kidnapped Hermione Granger to make her into a Pretender. Now they're trying again and Jarod needs help from friends old and new to save an innocent girl from a terrible fate.
1. Taken!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know, I know... with 3 unfinished works the last thing I should do is start another one.

meh...

Read, review, and show your love!

* * *

Harry Potter: Secrets and Lies

(Crossover W/ The Pretender)

The first sign something was wrong was when it got to July and Harry Potter had yet to receive a letter from his friend, Hermione Granger. She was always diligent about writing, even if she was on a trip with her parents.

So why had she not written any letters this summer?

Setting the table for dinner that evening, Harry contemplated looking Hermione up in the telephone directory when he heard his uncle, Vernon Dursley, turn on the evening news.

"And in Darby, today, a tragic event occurred to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, whose 13 year old daughter was kidnapped from her bedroom late last night."

Harry dropped the silverware he'd been holding and ignoring his uncle's cries of "What ARE you doing in there, boy?!" ran upstairs and scribbled a quick not to Dumbledore and Ron Weasley. _'The muggle news said that Hermione has been kidnapped.'_

Once Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig was flying off, Harry sat on his bed, wondering who could have taken Hermione and why.

* * *

Watching the news in the small apartment he was staying in, Jarod stopped dead when he saw the news report from England.

Sitting down on the couch, Jarod remembered the teenage girl who had been taken. Hermione Granger had been stolen when she was only 4 years old and while she demonstrated incredible potential, she was also very keen to get out and back to her parents.

No one knew how she'd escaped, but the Centere had tried to track her down with no success.

But apparently they'd found her again and wanted to pick up where they left off.

Getting up and grabbing what few belongings he had, Jarod headed out, wanting to get to England quickly just incase Hermione was still being held somewhere nearby.

* * *

_The Centere_

_Blue Cove, Delaware_

Hermione awoke in a small room that was coldly familiar. Like some nightmare she'd had as a small child.

"Miss Granger…" The older man's voice was kind and gentle, but also slightly detached. The kind of voice a doctor would use with a new patient. "My name is Sydney. I'll be taking care of you for a while."

Hermione studied the man closely. Again, she was struck with an intense case of déjà vu. "Do I… do I know you?"

Sydney smiled. Oh, yes… she knew him, alright. But best not to reveal that just yet. If Hermione figured out what was going on… "No, I'm afraid not. Are you alright?"

"Where am I?" Hermione asked, getting off of the cot she'd been lying on and looking out the door.

"This is a special institution," Sydney said, trying to make the Centere sound like someplace other than Hell. "We work with gifted individuals and study intelligence and human behavior."

"Does that work include kidnapping?" Hermione asked, arms crossed.

"That was not my directive. I'm sorry."

Hermione didn't reply, but she kept looking around as she left the makeshift bedroom and stepped into the larger room, looking around. She'd here before. She knew it now… But if she'd gotten out of this place once, she could do it again. But best to be cautious, Hermione thought as the hairs on the back of her neck started prickling. Someone was watching her.

--

Angelo had watched the teenage girl be brought in and even though his mind was fractured from the electroshock treatments from Dr. William Raines the empathy recognized the girl's face. "Mione in danger," Angelo whispered to himself as he turned around in the vent he was hiding in. He had to get the girl help before something happened to her.

Slipping into one of the unused computer labs, Angelo was able to draft a brief message to Jarod. 'Mione danger.' Hopefully the Pretender would know who 'Mione' was.

Hearing someone coming, Angelo shut the computer down and headed back up to the vents to watch and listen as Raines came in with one of his minions. "You made sure the kidnapping would be on the international news?" the older man wheezed, hoarsely.

"Affirmative, sir," Said a red-haired young man with horn-rimmed glasses. He had an English accent and seemed incredibly eager. "I'm honored you selected me for this internship. It should be fascinating to work for a man of your intelligence."

"Indeed, Percy," Raines wheezed, and although a small smile tweaked the corners of his mouth, the action never reached his eyes. "Thanks to you, we might actually be able to reclaim Jarod."

Up in his vent, Angelo froze. Hermione was meant to be bait!

"It's sad that someone you tried to help thought you meant him harm," Percy added.

"Jarod could have been a brilliant scientist," Raines replied. "But his mind was too far gone." Wheezing again as he pulled his oxygen tank along, he added, "I just pray we find him before he kills someone."

Percy hesitated a moment. "Is Jarod… dangerous?"

"Often," Raines replied, nodding. "Which is why you must always be on your guard if you find him. He'll say whatever lies he has to in order to stay out of here."

Percy nodded as he followed his new boss. "I understand, sir. I won't let you down."

Angelo watched them leave and when the cost was clear, headed back to the small crawl space where he usually kept important trinkets. Digging through, he found what he was looking for: a dragonfly pendant made of abalone shell on a silver chain. Heading back to the Sim Lab, Angelo waited for the perfect time to give Hermione the necklace she had given him the day she had escaped.


	2. Return to the Centere

Chapter 2

_Darby, England_

Laura Granger couldn't believe this was happening again. Her little girl had been taken and there was no sign of where she was or who could have done such a thing. She'd gone into a fit of cleaning, trying to stay busy so she didn't worry so much but it was useless.

And the situation was so much like when Hermione was little. No sounds, no hint of something amiss… just waking up in the middle of the night and finding Hermione gone from her bed.

Dropping the rag she held in her hand, Laura dropped to her knees, sobbing.

"Laura?" Darren Granger rushed into the kitchen and knelt beside his wife. "Laura, it's okay. Hermione's going to be fine. You'll see." He looked up when there was a knock at the door. "Maybe the police have something."

Laura nodded and let her husband help her up. They went to the door but looking through the peephole Laura saw a face that she knew. "Laura?" Darren asked, looking worried. "Who is it?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know." Seeing her husband's questioning look, she added, "Let him in. Show him to the sitting room. I… I have to get something upstairs." Dashing upstairs, Laura went to Hermione's room and looked about for the old notebook that her daughter had always carried after the first abduction.

Hermione had endured an almost crippling case of PTSD after being taken the first time. For a year and a half, she was afraid to leave her room. Finally, a child psychologist had suggested that Hermione start drawing her captors. _"If you draw them, you can put the pictures away. A place where you know where they are and they can't come after you."_

After a minute or two of searching, Laura finally found the notebook. Heading back downstairs, she found Darren sitting with the other man along with two boys she recognized. "Ron? Harry? What are you doing here?"

Harry Potter looked slightly uncomfortable as he said, "I-I saw the news. About Hermione. Ron and I… we want to help."

"That's admirable," the other man said, looking grave. "But I'm afraid Hermione is in more danger than you realize."

"Danger from you?" Laura asked, flipping to a particular drawing and holding it out. "Who are you? What do you know about my daughter?"

The man sighed. "My name is Jarod. I… I knew Hermione when she was… when she was taken last time."

"Where is our daughter?" Darren asked.

Jarod looked nervous, but he replied, "It's called The Centere. They steal those children they see as having the gift of intelligence far above average. When I was a young boy… I was taken by them. I was pressed into doing simulations… experiments… They even used me as a lab rat for their special projects."

"And this place… they're the ones who took Hermione?" Ron asked, stunned. "Why would they take her?"

"Ron, Hermione memorized her school books before she even stepped into class," Harry snapped. "She's the smartest witch of her age! If this place collects genius kids, she'd be at the top of the list!"

"Did you say 'witch'?" Jarod asked, an eyebrow lifting in surprise.

When Ron and Harry saw that there was no way to backtrack, they proceeded to tell Jarod all about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The more Jarod heard about Hermione's magical abilities the more he understood why the Centere wanted the kid. Being a witch as well as a genius would mean being able to do more than even he was capable of.

"So when do we rescue Hermione?" Harry asked, eagerly.

"Harry, if the Centere find out that you're helping to get your friend out…" Jarod admired the teenager's loyalty, but still…

"I don't care if they go after the Dursleys," Harry insisted. "They locked me in the cupboard under the stairs until I was 11."

"And I'd like to meet the person who's mental enough to purposely go up against _my_ mother," Ron said, nodding. "Anyone who messes with Molly Weasley or her kids will get their arse kicked and she won't even use her wand."

Sitting on the couch, Laura Granger had to smile at how dedicated her daughter's friends were. All through Hermione's primary school days, the poor girl had been friendlier with the school and public librarians than kids her own age. Now Hermione had real friends willing to face danger to help her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to Jarod, Harry, and Ron make plans to free Hermione from the Centere.

--

_Blue Cove, Delaware_

Miss Parker felt like she was waking from a wonderful dream into an even better one as she saw that the arms of her boyfriend and lover were still wrapped around her. "Tommy…" she whispered as the arms pulled her closer.

"Good morning, Parker," Thomas Gates said, kissing the back of her neck. "I…"

The tender mood was interrupted by the ringing of Thomas's cell phone and after getting up and throwing a pair of jeans on, he took the phone to the kitchen. "Thomas Gates."

"Hey, it's Jarod. Miss Parker awake?"

"We just got up," Thomas replied, keeping an ear and eye out for Parker. "What's up?"

"Any chance you can keep her distracted for a while?" Jarod asked, hopefully.

"Hours or days?"

Jarod chuckled. "Days would great."

Thomas grinned. "I talked Parker into going to Oregon with me. We'll go there."

"Thanks, Tommy."

"Anytime, Jarod."

After the coffee was made and Parker was up, Thomas smiled as he pulled her into his arms. "How do you feel about taking a few days and seeing that house with me?" Parker laughed, a joyful, ringing sound that made Thomas smile even more. "My favorite sound…" he whispered in her ear. "Is just hearing you laugh."

"I'd go anywhere with you," Parker said, softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I…"

"Yes?" Thomas asked, his smile never wavering.

"I love you…" Parker said, quietly. "I never imagined I'd love anyone, but… Maybe I was just waiting for the right person."

"The feeling's mutual," Thomas said, as he and Parker kissed.

--

The Centere's top computer geek, Broots, waited until Sydney had completed the simulation with the newest Pretender prodigy before signaling that the two needed to talk. "I'll be back in a moment, Hermione," Sydney said before leading Broots off. "What's going on, Broots?"

"You heard Miss Parker's leaving?" Broots asked. Getting a nod, he added, "She and Thomas are taking a long weekend."

"What else, Broots?" Sydney asked, seeing how jumpy the younger man was.

"No one can find Angelo," Broots whispered. "And rumor has it that Raines is getting ready for some kind of experiment with your new Pretender."

Sydney frowned, but before he could say anything, he suddenly collapsed.

"Sydney?!" Broots said, alarmed. Looking around, he saw the girl holding a thin piece of wood. "What the hell?"

"Now…" The girl said, pointing the stick at him. "How do I get out of here?"

"What… what did you do to Sydney?" Broots stammered.

"Stunning spell," Hermione said, curtly.

"If you escape, they'll come after you," Broots argued. "What are you anyway?"

"A witch," Hermione replied, raising her wand. "And I will Stun you as well if you don't tell me how to get out of here."

"A very unwise decision," Said a voice from the second level of the Sim Lab.

"M-Mr. Lyle," Broots said, turning to look and starting when he noticed that Lyle was holding a wand and was pointing it at Hermione.

Hermione didn't lower her wand and her gaze never left the man who was pointing his wand at her. Finally, she lowered her wand, but she still locked eyes with the other man. "I'm not someone who scares easily," she said, coolly. "And the next time you point a wand at me… you better use it before I see you."

Turning and walking back to the small room where she slept, Hermione closed the behind her and sat on the cot, still shaking slightly from the standoff. Despite her bravado, Hermione had been very afraid. She was distracted slightly, however, when she saw a necklace handing from the doorknob. Getting up, she held the pendant in her hand, her heart racing as she recognized it.

"_Thank you for helping me, Angelo," a 4-year-old Hermione had said as she stood near a darkened road with the empath. "Hold this for me," she said, taking off her necklace. "If we see each other again."_

Holding the necklace tightly, Hermione knew she wasn't alone. Someone was looking out for her here.

--


	3. A Call to Arms

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

When I was picking who would be helping Jarod, I wanted people that were personally affected by Jarod's presence Including the unnamed janitor from the season 2 finale. (If anyone knows his name, let me know.)

Read, review, and show your love!

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Chapter 3 A Call To Arms

_Chicago, Illinois_

Sitting at his microphone in the radio studio, Neil Roberts stared at the newspaper before him. Even with the message carefully coded, Neil was able to decipher who it was from. Now it was time to help the man who'd helped him. Turning the microphone back on, Neil tried to think of how to sound the 'call to arms' without giving a heads-up to the PTBs that were after Jarod. "Welcome back, folks," Neil said, trying to sound like his usual self. "If you're a regular of this program you know about my friend, The Middleman. And even if you don't know him by that name, you might know him as a man who helps those who have been hurt by the Powers That Be. Well, now he needs help…."

--

_Los Angeles, California_

Although Isaac Dexter preferred the play the blues in his car, flipping through the stations he came across a talk station and paused for a moment before reaching to change the station. "Jarod helped me with one of the great challenges of my life…" The DJ said, making, Isaac withdraw his hand from the dial. "If anyone is out there who wants to rise to the occasion, check out the show's website."

Making the first u-turn he could, Isaac headed back towards the city and straight for the nearest library. After finding an unused computer, he logged onto the internet and typed in the radio show's website, looking around till he found a small link in the bottom left corner that said 'Middleman'. Figuring this was the information needed, Isaac clicked and read over it quickly before logging off and heading out as quickly as possible. If he wasn't the only one there then the limo would come in handy.

--

Flipping through the morning paper, Eddie Ballinger stopped dead when he saw the tiny ad in the classified section. All it said was: 'Jarod' and a website. "Jarod… No way…"

"Daddy?"

Eddie looked up as his 4 year old son, Michael, came into the room, still in his pajamas. "Hey, buddy. What are you doing up so early?"

"Wasn't sleepy," Michael replied. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

Eddie sighed as he set the paper down and picked up his son. "One of Daddy's friends needs help."

"From the bad place?" Michael said, looking scared. "That place you told Mommy about?"

"Exactly," Eddie replied.

"I don't want you to go. What if they hurt you? What if they hurt Mommy?"

"Mommy _and_ Daddy will be okay, sweetie," Jessica replied coming into the kitchen and taking Michael. "Tell you what. Why don't you and I go to our secret cabin till Daddy gets back?"

"Okay!" The little boy said, brightly. "Can we bring Tigger?"

"You bet," Jessica said, smiling. "Go get your kitty and I'll pack our stuff," she added, putting her son down. Hugging Eddie, she said, "Be careful. I love you, Eddie."

"I love you, too, Jess," Eddie replied, hugging his wife. "I swear I'll come back."

"If it's the Centere…" Jess whispered.

Eddie pulled away slightly and looked into his wife's eyes before lifting her left hand. "I swear… on our wedding bands… I WILL come back to you, Mrs. Jessica Ballinger, and our son, Michael."

Jessica nodded, but she still threw her arms around her husband's neck and hugged him as though she would never see him again.

--

"Are you sure this is where we're meeting the others?" Erica Greene asked her sister, Kimberly as the two pulled into a disheveled parking lot next to an abandoned church.

"Oh, so you're on board with the idea that we're not doing this alone?" Kimberly asked, grinning. "An hour ago you thought we'd be the only ones."

"Well, I don't see anyone else here," Erica countered as she got out of the car along with her sister.

Looking around, Kimberly was considering that Erica might be onto something when she saw two other cars and a limousine coming down the road and after a few moments all three pulled into the lot and parked. "Huh…" Kimberly said, smirking. "Guess we're not the only ones to show up after all."

A good looking man stepped out of a sedan and looked at the two ladies. "Hi. I-I'm Agent Edward Ballinger."

"FBI?" Erica asked, curious.

"National Security Agency," Eddie replied, pulling out his badge. "I, uh… take it you know Jarod?"

"He was a fashion photographer," Kimberly replied. "He caught this guy who had been stalking me. How did you know him?"

Eddie hesitated as he saw the others get out of their vehicles. "Uh… it's complicated."

Kimberly caught Eddie's gaze and saw the same look in the man's eyes as she'd seen in Jarod's when she'd seen that video of him as a young boy. "You were both in that place, weren't you?"

Eddie nodded. "Yeah. The Centere."

"Well, are we going to meet up with Jarod or talk all day?" said a black man who was dressed in women's clothing.

Eddie looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Isaac Dexter," he replied. "And my chariot awaits."

"But where are we going?" another man asked.

"Don't worry," Neil Roberts said as he joined the group. "I know where we're going."

--


End file.
